01A fancy seat collarwith the integratedcable guide makesthe Range ripe forupgrading to adropper post, but itwas a total pain nothaving quick-releaseas standard.

02The Syntace X12rear dropouts areboth stiff and neat,and now that Norcois making its ownsteel mech hangers,the alloy break­away bolt holdingit in place shouldactually break.

03Bigger wheels thanlast year, but thestandover heighthas been reduced onthe new Range KillerBframe.

04

Norco Range Killer B-2 £2,800

A stubby zero-stackhead tube stops theheight of the frontend from creepingup, especially on thesmaller frame sizes.

speCIFICaTIOnFrame HydroformedaluminiumShock Fox Floal cmFork Fox 34 Talas cmWheels Formula hubs,Sun Inferno rims.Schwalbe HansDampflyresBrakes Avid ElixirSlS0mmDrivetrain Race FaceEvolve chainset. SRAMX9 r·mech. X7 shiftersandf-mechComponents NorcoSizes S, M, L. XLWeight 14.SSkg(32.14Ib)Contactevanscycles.com

anGle FInDeRSize tested LHead angle 65.4'Seat angle 6S.S'BB height 336mmChalnstay 43SmmFront centre 755mmWheelbase 1.1g0mmDown tube 705mm

108 mbr.co.uk APRIL 2013

For 2013, Norco has introducedtwo 650b suspension platforms:the 140mm Sight Killer B and the160mm Range Killer B. Due to thepopularity of the 26in Sight, it was

given a stay of execution; the 26in Rangewasn't so fortunate.

FrameThe obvious changes to the Range frame,other than the new wheel size, are the one­piece, welded rocker link and oversizedtubing profiles for improved framestiffness. New 3600 pivot hardware alsoboosts stiffness and should dramaticallylengthen the life of the bearings, The mostexciting addition, however, is Norco'sGravity Tune geometry. First developedon the Aurum DH bike, Gravity Tune givessimilar handling and weight distributionacross all sizes. Norco achieves this bysimply clocking the BB shell forward by4mm every time it goes up a frame size,resulting in dedicated BB to rear axle (or'rear centre') measurements on each framesize without having to make multiple backends. Genius.

SuspensionNorco has also tweaked the ART rearsuspension on the Range. It still delivers160mm of travel, but the new layoutis more resistant to energy-sappingsuspension wallow for improved pedallingefficiency. So much so, that even withthe CTD shock set to 'descend' mode theNorco had a snappy, direct feel about it.Up front, the entry-level Fox EvolutionCTD fork, with its open bath damper, nevermatched the rear for grip or control, but by

running more air pressure for support westruck a reasonable compromise,

WheelsThe 650b hoops on the Range aredesigned to take a beating, so they're notthe lightest. Still, they are in keeping withthe attitude of the bike and would easilysurvive a couple of weeks in the Alps,

GroupsetA double-ring Race Face crank gavethe Range plenty of, er... range, and the2xlO Truvativ chain device kept the chainsecurely in place - the twin jockey wheeldesign reduces friction and noise. Avid'sElixir brakes weren't nearly as quiet, andthey suffered pressure build-up in thelevers on longer descents. Still, at leastthey weren't pulling straight to the bar!

ComponentsWe instantly ditched the funky ergo grips,and the 70mm stem followed suit soonafter. Swapping to a 55mm stem proveda much better match for the proportionsof the size large frame and improvedthe steering responses with the slack,progressive geometry,

PerformanceIt's rare that we hop straight onto a brandnew bike and instantly feel at home, butthat's exactly what happened once wefitted a shorter stem to the Range. And,by feeling at home, we don't just meanachieving a good fit. Centred, capable andthrilling to ride, the Range wasted no timein winning us over. How much that had todo with the 650b wheels is debatable, but

we can say with certainty that the latestincarnation of Norco's ART suspensionpresented no surprises, other than howwell it pedalled for such a plush bike. Grip,control and pop are all delivered in just theright measure to ensure that the bomber­solid 321b Range never felt weighed down,

In fact, the bike was super-easy to liftand manoeuvre, but that's not to say thatthe Range 2 is an agile mountain goat;it definitely leans in favour of DH, whereclimbs are a necessary evil rather thanpart of the whole experience. On rougherclimbs there's a little bit of pedal feedbackin the smaller of the two chainrings, butit's a good compromise given how taut thepedalling response is in the bigger ring,

. .There is a lot to love about Norco's

Specifi.cations & geometry

Norco I 65.4' I 68.8' I 336mm I 435mm I 755mm l,190mm 705mm

; A: B: C. 0; E: F; G: HEAD ANGLE: SEATANGLE: BB HEIGHT : CHAINSTAY FRONT CENTRE WHEELBASE : DOWN TUBE

685mm

l,083mm I 672mm

715mm I l,155mm440mm67.6'67.5'

Jamis I 71.2' I 73.6' I 305mm I 433mm I 650mm

All our test bikes' facts, figures and vitalstatistics for you to compare

they be? Bikes are, and always willbe, about the complete package:geometry, suspension, brakesand components all have a partto play, and wheel size, especiallywith 650b being so close to 26in,only makes up a small part of theequation.

After hammering these fourbikes for over a month, what havewe learnt about the inbetweenerwheel size? First and foremost,it's not a total game-changer inthe way that 29in has proved tobe. But that's no bad thing; it wasobvious from the very first testrides that the direct handling,lively feel and manoeuvrabilitythat characterise 26in bikescrossed over directly to all four ofour 650b bikes. We didn't blowup any wheels or notice sloweracceleration due to the extra wheelweight, but we did find it hard todetect any rollover benefits fromthe slightly bigger wheel size ­tyre profiles and suspension makeit impossible to get a clear pictureof what was actually happening onthe ground.

The wheel size debate isn'tgoing to end any time soon, andthere are a lot of parallels with thesuspension debate of old wheremanufacturers and journalistswould make blanket claims aboutone configuration being superiorto another, when in reality, youcould easily find good and badexamples of all designs. Wheel sizeis no different; it just offers a muchsimpler marketing message tocommunicate.

Is 650b going to make yourcurrent ride redundant? It's veryunlikely. But if companies can keepproducing bikes that are as goodas the new Norco Range, the futureis bright whatever the wheel size.

WEIGHT

CONTACT

FRameSIZES-_ .. _--------_._-----SIZE TESTED-------------------FRAME MATERIAL

SUSPENSION FORK-----------------------

REAR SHOCK

FRONTTRAVEL

REAR TRAVEL

WHeelSHUBS

RIMS

SPOKES

TYRES

GROUPSeTSHIFTERS

FRONTMECH

REAR MECH

CRANK

BOTTOM BRACKET-------------------

BRAKES----------------------ROTOR SIZES

componenTSSADDLE----------_._--_._----_.SEATPOST

.. _----_._------HANDLEBAR

STEM

RaTInG

SCOTT GenIUS140£2.399

13.84kg (30.51Ib)

scott-sports.com

S,M,L,XL

M

6061 customaluminium

Fox 34 Float LRD-- -----.--------- .... _..... -

Scott DT M3 LRD---------- ..... ---IS0mm

IS0mm

Formula! ShlmanoDeore IS!13SQR.....----.-- - .Syncros XC-55----------_.._----- .. _.DT Champion 1.8mm

--- _------- --- .

·~~~1~~~~1 Schwalbe Nobby Nlc.~ 2.251n

Shlmano Deore 3xl0

ShlmanoSLX---_._-----------ShlmanoXT

Shimano Deore

!i!!E ••.~•.~g Shimano 92mmShlmano Deore MS96":",ii.""c,-,<)"t-- -----.--.-,,-.--------.-.---.-----

180mm!180mm

APRIL 2013 mbr.co.uk 111

ConclusionIt would be easy to glance at theratings on our first 650b bike test andjump to the conclusion that the mostexpensive bike was always going tobe the best. It is, after all, the mostexpensive bike. To do that, however, isto ignore how each of these bikes fitsinto its respective category.

Expensive as it may sound, £2,800isn't particularly high-end for a 160mmtravel bike like the Norco Range. Withthe line starting at just under £2k forthe entry-level model and toppingout at £4k, this bike is very much inthe middle of its seGtor. On the otherhand, the Kona Explosif at £1,499 isfast approaching the upper echelons ofhardtail pricing. Therefore, the ratingsare not quite as clear cut as they firstappear and, in many ways, they reflectthe areas where the new 650b wheelsize is going to be strongest.

We're confident that 29in wheelswill continue to dominate on hardtailsand shorter travel trail bikes, at leastfor average height and taller riders. Forlonger travel bikes like the Norco Rangeand all the way up to 200mm downhillrigs, 650b certainly brings somethingnew - slightly better rollover than26in, without the wholesale change inbike design and handling that comeswith 29. It's much less clear how thingswill pan out in the mid-travel trailbike category. The Scott Genius 740highlights that bigger wheels alone

aren't enough to make a better bikeand, when you think about it, how could

_RanGe.FlnOeR Check out these four very viable alternatives...

oJamis Dragon 650

It may have retro graphs and skinny853 steel tubes, but the Dragon650b's geometry and proportionsare more progressive than theNemesis and better suited to trailriding. Decked out with top-endCrank Brothers finish kit, a 120mmWhite Brothers Loop fork and650b American Classis wheels, theeclectic mix is certainly fitting of theDragon's price tag.

110 mbr.co.uk APRIL 2013

Saracen Zen

With a KS dropper post as standardand 130mm of travel up front,Saracen's new 650b Zen is anamazing package. It looks like itwould be as comfortable tickingoff a big mountain adventure asslashing berms and hitting jumps inthe woods behind your house. Thiscould be the one hardtail to conquerevery trail.

Ghost Cagua 6550

Ghost burst onto the scene a coupleof years back with great bikesfeaturing size-specific chainstaysand low leverage suspensiondesigns. It has been quieter of late,but the new 155mm travel Caguaenduro bike looks set to changethat. For an extra £200 you can getan E:i electronic suspension version,where sensors on the fork andchainset automatically adjust theshock settings.

Cube Stereo SuperHPC Race 160

Been eyeballing Jamie's CubeStereo 2ger long-term test bike(page 48) but want somethingwith a little more travel and a lotless tyre? The Stereo HPC Race 160could be just the ticket. As the namesuggest it's got 160mm of bounce,but what it doesn't say is that italso has 650b wheels. A full-carbonframe and blinding spec make it oneof the hottest bikes of 2013.

Words: Simon Collis, Jamie Darlow Photos: Geoff Waugh, Andy Lloyd, Andy McCandlish, Sam Needham, Duncan Philpott

56 mbr.co.uk APRIL 2013

APRIL 2013 mbr.co.uk 57

The British bike designer who's taking Canada by storm

If you ask us which mountain bike manufacturer ismaking the most progress right now, our answerwould be Norco - and at the beating heart ofthe company's design team is a quietly spoken,Coventry-born engineer called Owen Pemberton.

mbr: What's your role at Norco, and how did youget here?Owen: I'm a senior design engineer. When I leftschool I joined Rolls-Royce, where I trained as amechanical engineer, but after 10 years I felt it wastime for a change. I went to Whistler to take a yearoff and ride my bike, and while I was here I got a jobdoing bike tech for the local Norco dealer. I madesome connections at the company, and they askedme to apply for a vacancy as an engineer.

One of the first projects you worked on was theSight, which to us felt like a huge step forward forNorco. Can you remember what you were aiming for?Because of my background in the UK, wherethe scene is very broad, with many ridingstyles, I knew that if we could design theperfect bike for the UK, then that wouldread true around the world. It was aboutcreating an all-round, versatile platform.

60 mbr.co.uk APRIL 2013

What's the innovation you're most proud of?I think it's Gravity Tune geometry. We found thatthe different sized riders on our race team wereasking for different rear centre lengths. We alreadymake different front assemblies, but differentrears, including seatstays and chainstays, wouldadd significant cost. Then I realised that instead ofmoving the axle, I could move the bottom bracketinstead. That's Gravity Tune. The BB is on the fronttriangle, and they're already different for every size,so it doesn't matter if you make another difference.It's a simple solution, but it took some outside-the­box thinking.

What's the future for mountain bike design?I'm hoping the wheel size debate pretty muchends this year. People are starting to say that bikesshould be judged by their intended use and not bytheir wheel size. We've decided which wheels webelieve fit certain uses, because that's what we, as

riders, want to ride. There were a lot of guyshere riding 2gers, but at only 5ft 6in, I

wasn't totally sold on that. For me - andI'm not saying it's for everyone - 650bis right for the way I ride. The interestingthing is, pretty much all of the guys here

in the office that were big 2ger fans have now madethe switch to longer travel 650b bikes for the sameintended use.

Does 26 have a future?I think the writing's on the wall. It's hard for us tofind categories where we still think it's the bestoption. It may still remain for very small riders,women-specific or bikes aimed at the youth market.But personally, for me, I haven't ridden a 26in wheelin more than a year.

What other changes do you predict?The price of carbon manufacturing is coming downvery quickly, so I think you'll see that dropping evenfurther into the mainstream. We're starting to seeelectronic technology, and though it's difficult tosee real advantages right now, it's something wewant to look at.

And finally, simplification. With the dawn oflxll, I can see 1x systems becoming the norm, andmaybe in two years we won't have front derailleursany more. That could open new possibilities - itcould allow 2gers up to 150, 160mm travel, forexample, and they'd be monstrous bikes, fast andmaybe fun.